Go to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • By specialty
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Immunology
    • Metabolism
    • Nephrology
    • Oncology
    • Pulmonology
    • All ...
  • Videos
  • Collections
    • In-Press Preview
    • Resource and Technical Advances
    • Clinical Research and Public Health
    • Research Letters
    • Editorials
    • Perspectives
    • Physician-Scientist Development
    • Reviews
    • Top read articles

  • Current issue
  • Past issues
  • Specialties
  • In-Press Preview
  • Resource and Technical Advances
  • Clinical Research and Public Health
  • Research Letters
  • Editorials
  • Perspectives
  • Physician-Scientist Development
  • Reviews
  • Top read articles
  • About
  • Editors
  • Consulting Editors
  • For authors
  • Publication ethics
  • Publication alerts by email
  • Transfers
  • Advertising
  • Job board
  • Contact
A dominant pathogenic MEFV mutation causes atypical pyrin-associated periodic syndromes
Qintao Wang, Taijie Jin, Shan Jian, Xu Han, Hongmei Song, Qing Zhou, Xiaomin Yu
Qintao Wang, Taijie Jin, Shan Jian, Xu Han, Hongmei Song, Qing Zhou, Xiaomin Yu
View: Text | PDF
Research Article Immunology Inflammation

A dominant pathogenic MEFV mutation causes atypical pyrin-associated periodic syndromes

  • Text
  • PDF
Abstract

Pyrin, a protein encoded by the MEFV gene, plays a vital role in innate immunity by sensing modifications in Rho GTPase and assembling the pyrin inflammasome, which in turn activates downstream immune responses. We identified a novel and de novo MEFV p.E583A dominant variant in 3 patients from the same family; the variant was distinct from the previously reported S242 and E244 sites. These patients exhibited a phenotype that diverged from those resulting from classical MEFV gene mutations, characterized by the absence of recurrent fever but the presence of recurrent chest and abdominal pain. Colchicine effectively controlled the phenotype, and the mutation was found to induce pyrin inflammasome assembly and activation in patients’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cell lines. Mechanistically, truncation experiments revealed that the E583A variant affected the autoinhibitory structure of pyrin. Our study offers insights into the mechanisms underlying pyrin inflammasome activation.

Authors

Qintao Wang, Taijie Jin, Shan Jian, Xu Han, Hongmei Song, Qing Zhou, Xiaomin Yu

×

Figure 1

Clinical features and variant confirmation of patients.

Options: View larger image (or click on image) Download as PowerPoint
Clinical features and variant confirmation of patients.
(A) Pedigree of ...
(A) Pedigree of patient family and brain MRI of patients and health controls. White arrows indicate wider sulcal fissure. (B) Schematic of the WES data filtering strategy assuming de novo inheritance. (C) Exome sequencing reads covering the E583A variant in patients and their parents displayed by the Integrative Genomics Viewer. (D) Conservation of MEFV E583 site across different species. (E) Sanger sequencing validation in patients family. (F) Serum cytokine levels of E583A patients (Pt; n = 3) and health controls (HC; n = 9).

Copyright © 2026 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN 2379-3708

Sign up for email alerts